Burning the Alpha

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Hot air rises. I had no need for the metal confines of River's flying apparatus, but I expect feeling the claustrophobic discomfort his intent.

I don't usually think of myself as an emotional creature, but in my agitation, I found myself calculating the probability of River taking me out before I could take the whole thing down in a blaze of glorious flame. They had obviously taken fire-proofing precautions, but I could still feel the explosive potential just beyond comfortable reach. Had the air vehicle only contained River and myself, I may well have taken the risk and gone for it, but there were other living beings on board who probably didn't deserve death, so I concentrated my energy on keeping my temperature down.

Looking for a distraction, my thoughts turned back to Shaun and his people. I liked that he was kind, and well regarded by the people around him. I've existed for a very long time, but that moment in the office, when he explored my body with his hands, his touch...it was unlike anything I'd experienced before...

"What are you smiling about?" River asked me.

I opened my eyes to see him leaning forward in the seat opposite me, watching my face.

"Where are the others?" I asked, not interested in his line of enquiry.

"I've sent them the co-ordinates," he answered. "They will meet us there."

"So, you reserved the special treatment for me alone, then."

"They've given me no reason to doubt their loyalty, unlike yourself." He tried a smile, but it lacked sincerity, as per usual.

"I never said I would not fulfil my side of the agreement." My temperature flared. "It was your obligation I chose to end."

"That's not how agreements work." Another mirthless smile. "If you'd bothered to take more than a passing interest in human matters, you would already know this."

"I'm not human." Temperature check. "And once my side of the agreement is over, I'm done with you."

"We're done when I say we're done." He leaned back, stupid smile never leaving his stupid face.

I was 'done' with the conversation, so I moved my attention to the stupid clouds out the stupid window. Huh...the mortals appeared to have infected me with their emotions.

"Aren't you going to ask where we found it?" He leaned forward again.

I was curious, but I was more interested in ignoring him.

"It was in Samaria," he continued without me.

"What's that called these days?" My mouth asked the question before my mind could stop it.

He shrugged, "The humans haven't made up their minds yet."

Ah, yes, human conflict. I only require sporadic access to fire to survive - human needs are far more numerous and complex. I've never understood why they tend to get so violent so quickly when their lives are already so short - why not find ways to live in peace and enjoy what little time you have? I don't know, I guess I would probably be more prone to violence if it were possible for someone to lock my fire away and keep it from me...I've just never had to face that kind of threat.

Huh...actually... when River had his hands on the small mortal...that look in her eyes...if violence could have helped her in that moment, I would have used it. Is that where human conflict comes from? A need to protect...something? I guess I'd always assumed it was about access to necessary resources...perhaps it's more complicated than I imagined...

I didn't speak for the rest of the trip. River sat opposite me the entire time. I tried to ignore him, but I could almost taste the arrogance oozing off him. I found myself wondering what the natural enemy of a water nymph was - were fire nymphs the only ones with such an obvious weakness? Was that why I'd never met another like me? I wondered if River had ever killed a fire nymph before - maybe that was why he was so sure of himself around me - he did not seem the least bit concerned about my destructive potential.

As the aircraft started to descend, River moved to the seat next to me and took hold of my wrist.

"Don't go trying anything stupid," he whispered into my ear.

The flesh at my wrists sizzled, and his grip was more than a little bit uncomfortable, but he needn't have been concerned. Now that we were here, I felt my curiosity peaking.

I don't know how to explain what he had been looking for - what he had found. I guess, in human language, you could call it something like, 'the answer', or perhaps, 'the beginning', maybe, 'the great beyond'. It's a complicated reality to try to put into words, and I'd heard whispers about it's potential, but I really wasn't too sure about what impact finding it may have on the world as we knew it.

There was a big black car waiting for us as we disembarked, and River threw his jacket over my head as he bundled me into it. I quieted the urge to resist or fight against his methods - I didn't want to needlessly provoke him to violence, I also wanted to see it for myself.

He spoke an old language as we drove. I want to say it was a variation of Hebrew. It had been a long time since I'd used it, myself, so I only caught the most obvious bits and pieces - 'the others', 'the meeting place' 'daybreak'. He kept my eyes covered with his jacket but, from what I could sense from the atmosphere in the vehicle, he was conversing with two not-very-flammable humans.

I can't tell you how long we drove for. I can tell you it probably felt longer to me than it actually was. I couldn't feel the sun or the wind, but I was aware we were in motion, and River - with his heavy, watery presence - was sitting right next to me.

It occured to me, at some point during this trip, that the whole thing could have been a ruse, and this may have been the beginning of River's elaborate plan to kill me. The moving box was so small, and the air was so thick with water molecules, I wondered if he was trying to drown me, very slowly.

Eventually, I withdrew into myself - focussing on the sacred fire at my core. As long as I had that inner fire, everything would be okay. My core was as strong as it had ever been, and I took comfort in it's steady warmth.

Rough, watery hands yanked me out of my meditation, removed the jacket from my head and flung me from the vehicle. I took in a grateful breath of fresh air (breathing is not a requirement for me, it's just how I explain taking in the good, clean molecules, and rinsing out the yuckiness I'd taken in during the ride.) The wind rustled through the sparse collection of trees. The sun was beautiful, and warm, and bright, and I rose to my feet, reaching out my arms, in hope's of catching more of its rays.

"Alright, calm down," a new voice chuckled in a more familiar language. "Anyone would think you'd just spent a century under ground or something."

"Actually, it's not as bad as you might think," another voice chimed in. "I rather enjoyed my confinement."

"Of course you did," the first voice answered. "It would be more surprising if you hadn't."

I turned my attention to these creatures just as one started to approach with their arms outstretched.

"My dear friend!" It was the owner of the first voice, and they appeared to expect some sort of physical contact from me. "What name do you go by, these days?"

"Avril," I answered, mimicking the position of their arms and finding myself in a hug. "Yourself?"

"Hmm...I haven't picked a new one yet," they considered. "Let's call me...Vole."

I took a wild guess and replied, "Vole...nice to see you...again."

"It's been too long!" they chuckled.

It was that chuckle that finally reminded me. Vole was an air nymph I'd met a few times, centurys ago - always with River. Though they seemed to enjoy smiling and laughing, I wasn't overly sure they were all that pleasant or trustworthy. I thought for a moment that anyone associated with River was terrible and could not be trusted, then I realised I'd have to count myself amoung them, and decided to give Vole the benefit of the doubt.

I recognised Vole's companion as an earth nymph I'd also met on a few occasions. Turning my attention to them, I asked, "And what do you call yourself now, old friend?"

The earth nymph frowned at me.

"I didn't realise we were friends," they said.

I wasn't sure what to do with that response - luckily for me, Vole did.

"Oh, don't be like that, Pigney," Vole scolded. "He still goes by Pigney, darling - hasn't bothered to change it in over a millennia."

"Haven't been around mortals," Pigney shrugged. "Haven't needed to."

River, who had been conversing by the car, looked over at us.

"Alright, that's enough catching up." He said, taking a proffered parchment from one of his lackeys. "I've got a destiny to seize."

He didn't bother saying more, just marched over to grab my wrist, then pulled me with him as he started weaving through the trees.